Did I get you? Yes? No? Okay. I'm not that brainwashed into consumerism. Here's my real list.

1. I'm thankful that all of my loved ones are healthy.
While there are a few that have been in and out of the hospital lately, none of our loved ones are laying on their deathbed right now, and for that I am incredibly thankful. There is nothing worse that knowing someone is about to die and simply waiting for it to happen.

2. I'm thankful that none of my family is fighting in any wars right now.
This one ties into the last. I am not ungrateful for what those that are currently and have in the past been involved in the army and/or wars have done for our country. I am merely glad that none of my family is there right now (my husband's uncle has served several stints in Afghanistan). Now, I know that sounds selfish, because there are so many great men and women out there serving our country. And I know that the time may come that my loved ones do the same. But for now, I'm glad to be able to be able to say that they are all in the country that I am so proud of, and safe as possible.

3. I'm thankful for my loving, supporting husband.
He fought along side me as I worked my way through university, and he stands by me in (almost) anything that I want to do now. He puts his foot down when he feels its necessary, and reigns me in when I get overexcited, but when he is with me, he's with me. He doesn't waffle. He is my rock.

4. I'm thankful that I had a great upbringing.
You see so many children now whose parents just don' t seem to have time for them. They aren't given the proper care and discipline that children need to grow up as active members of society. I am grateful that my childhood wasn't like that - I was given all the attention I needed, and more. My family is intact, and we see each other often.

5. I'm thankful that my family is very close.
I don't necessarily mean geographically close, while it helps that we are all within a few provinces. I mean we are close to each other in that we see each other at least annually, and we act as one big family - almost like what you see in movies about Italians (even though I'm French/German).

6. I'm thankful that I have a great job that I enjoy working at.
So many people dread going to work every day, and admittedly I've been in that position, even though I knew that it was only a temporary job. Now I know that every day I'll learn something new, spend time with a great group of people and work on things I enjoy doing. That's priceless.

7. I'm thankful that I have a roof over my head.
And not just any roof - we are paying bottom dollar to rent a place that is definitely worth top dollar - and it's an entire house to boot. We will definitely be spoiled when we join the buyers market.

8. I'm thankful that I can afford to properly cloth myself
You can separate the "haves" and "have nots" pretty easily in Canada, especially when winter season hits. The "have nots" are usually those who cannot afford proper winter attire. It gets to be -40 degrees Celcius (centigrade) in the city that I live in, so you know that it is not a fashion choice - in fact, most fashion goes out the window here in the winter in favor of staying warm.

9. I'm thankful that I am living a stable, minimum-stress life
You always here about this poor family that had their house broken into, and this poor family that had their vehicle stolen, and this poor family that had their home burn to the ground - but never think of it happening to you. I'm glad that this never has happened to me, and hope beyond reason that it never will.

10. I'm thankful that I can do anything that I want.
That isn't an exaggeration. I could quit my job tomorrow and go back to school. I could leave the country and go touring the world, getting side jobs here and there to pay my expenses. I could take up roots and move to California. That is the freedom of living in a free country. Not that I want to do any of these things, but the knowledge that the opportunity is there is a powerful thing.